The invention relates to an apparatus for removably supporting at least one medical, particularly dental instrument, such as a dental drill or the like, of the type having one end of an elongate flexible supply tube connected hereto. Such apparatus generally comprises a box having an instrument panel, a holder for the instrument on the panel, connection means in the box for the other end of the flexible supply tube, and means for retracting the tube at least partially into the box when the instrument is placed in the holder while allowing the tube to be released from its retracted position when the instrument is taken from the holder. The supply tube may serve for feeding a pressure fluid to the instrument, such as cooling water and/or compressed air for driving a turbine-driven drill of the instrument, while the tube may also comprise electric leads.
In conventional apparatuses of the above-mentioned type the supply tube in its retracted position is wound on a spring-mounted reel or the like inside the box. If one wants to use the instrument, a pulling force must be exerted on the tube to unwind the same from the reel against the action of the spring, locking means being provided cooperating with the reel to prevent the tube from being pulled back into the box by this spring. In order to obtain a sufficient tube length released from the box for the unimpeded handling of the instrument, the user, such as a dentist, must always pull a little more length of tube out of the box than would be strictly necessary for reaching the patient. For disengaging the locking means acting on the reel to allow the tube to be again retracted into the box, a similar short pull must be exerted on the tube. These pulling movements which the dentist must repeatedly carry out can be very tiring in the long run.